For UCLA outreach groups who devote endless hours of counseling
and academic tutoring to K-12 students in nearby underrepresented
communities, the recent state budget proposal is troubling.
But even more troubling is the direct effect decreased funding
for K-12 education will have in the long run ““ in terms of
both diversity and accessibility ““ at the university
level.
With inadequate funds for K-12 education and an estimated $2.3
billion hit in this year’s budget proposal, public school
education does not look very promising.
Once recognized as a national leader in education, the
California K-12 education system, which now accounts for having the
lowest teacher per pupil ratio, is at the very bottom.
“(Cuts in funding) will hinder public students, minority
or not, in the quality of education they receive,” said
Jullien Gordon, director of Students Heightening Academic
Performance through Education Program, a UCLA outreach program.
Many believe that universities’ problems with
accessibility and diversity start early on.
“K-12 preparation is at the heart of who is eligible and
who is admitted. … It is dependent on the quality of K-12
schools,” said Jeannie Oakes, a professor at the Graduate
School of Education and Information Studies.
Reducing funding for K-12 education also jeopardizes a
student’s chances of attaining a higher education ““
especially minority students.
“Because of inequalities in the educational system,
students in underrepresented groups get much less in K-12
education; therefore, budget cuts will make it even more difficult
for students already experiencing severe inequalities,” Oakes
said.
Oakes also said because affirmative action is no longer in
effect, other resources are necessary to maintain diversity at the
university level.
But with such severe blows against the public education system,
offering other resources for minority students becomes almost
impossible.
“It gives private school students a greater advantage (for
attending college) because their schools are not necessarily
affected by the state budget,” Gordon said, adding that
minority students are not typically the ones enrolled in private
schools.
Though technically K-12 education is not receiving a direct cut,
funding is still lost as money promised to schools by Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger last year is still being delayed.
Proposition 98, which fuels K-12 education, states that funding
for education should rise at the same rate as the general fund
revenue, which is about 15 percent. But funding will only rise by 4
percent, said Michael Bazdarich, a senior economist at the UCLA
Anderson School of Management.